Bevin takes stage and yellow

Press Release
For immediate release

Bevin takes stage and yellow

(Monday 29 October) Paddy Bevin took out his fourth stage of his past three appearances in the PowerNet Tour of Southland, finishing first in a sprint finish in Lumsden today.

Bevin finished as the overall runner-up last year and today’s result means he has been thrust into the yellow jersey after stage one.

The 21-year-old, riding for Bissell Pro Cycling, said the team had its eye on the 160km stage right from the start.

“Without the wind, we knew the stage wasn’t going to be so decisive and we wanted to win it,” he said.

“As soon as you get close riding you don’t want to waste your energy, so we were pretty serious by the time it came to the crunch.”

Seven riders made an initial break just after Wallacetown and lead the peleton by up to 6minutes at one point. By the time they reached Mossburn, the lead was reduced to two minutes and by Lumsden, it was left to a sprint finish.

Bevin had been 7seconds down going into the day’s racing, but a 10 second bonus for winning the stage thrust him into yellow.

“It’s good to pick up the yellow jersey. I’ve won stages before but I haven’t actually led the race, so that’s another one to tick of the ‘to do’ list in New Zealand bike racing.

The next step is to take it all the way, but we will be taking it day by day. We’ve got guys that can race and tomorrow’s very decisive for GC.”

Share the Road rider Sam Witmitz took out the Harcourts Sprint Ace jersey, after being in the break. Creation Signs-L&M Group Racing’s Joe Chapman will wear the Jesco Hydraulics King of the Mountain jersey he won during last year’s Tour, after some strong climbs and Bevin also claimed The Co-operative Bank Under 23 classification. PowerNet leads the Wensleys Cycles team classification.

A minutes silence was observed at the end of today’s stage for Stu Kenning who tragically lost his life while undertaking work at Mossburn on Saturday. It was fitting that Stu’s family, friends and work colleagues were present as he was remembered by the community he served so well.

Tomorrow’s 137km stage starts in Invercargill and ends with a gruelling climb up Bluff Hill that will test the best.

ENDS

STAGE RESULTS

22 Patrick BEVIN (U23) Bissell Pro Cycling 3:52:55 1

75 Daniel BARRY Node 4 – Subaru ST 2

55 Pieter BULLING (U23) Ascot Park Hotel-Kia Motors-NZ Bike Magazine ST 3

51 Clinton AVERY Ascot Park Hotel-Kia Motors-NZ Bike Magazine ST 4

105 Alex RAY Stewart Imrie Financial Services ST 5

31 James WILLIAMSON Pure Black Racing ST 6

62 Dylan KENNETT (U23) Subway Pro Cycling ST 7

143 Stefan KüNG (U23) Team Hydraulink ST 8

191 Brad EVANS (U23) Olphert Contracting - McKenzie Craik ST 9

43 Fraser GOUGH (U23) Share The Road ST 10

POWERNET GENERAL CLASSIFICATION RESULTS

22 Patrick BEVIN (U23) Bissell Pro Cycling 3:57:56 1 00:10

1 Heath BLACKGROVE PowerNet @ 00:03 2

4 Cameron KARWOWSKI (U23) PowerNet @ 00:03 3

75 Daniel BARRY Node 4 – Subaru @ 00:03 4 00:06

2 Tom SCULLY PowerNet @ 00:03 5

33 Dion SMITH (U23) Pure Black Racing @ 00:03 6 00:02

6 Ryan WILLS PowerNet @ 00:03 7

62 Dylan KENNETT (U23) Subway Pro Cycling @ 00:05 8

31 James WILLIAMSON Pure Black Racing @ 00:05 9

61 Paul ODLIN Subway Pro Cycling @ 00:05 10

WENSLEYS CYCLES TEAM RESULTS

PowerNet 11:53:57

Calder Stewart @ 00:06

Subway Pro Cycling @ 00:06

Pure Black Racing @ 00:06

Node 4 - Subaru @ 00:18

Ascot Park Hotel - Kia Motors - NZ Bike Magazine @ 00:21

Bissell Pro Cycling @ 00:21

Share The Road @ 00:30

H&Js Outdoor World - Avanti Plus @ 00:42

Stewart Imrie Financial Services @ 00:45

Creation Signs - L&M Group Racing @ 00:45

Olphert Contracting - McKenzie Craik @ 00:54

Barry Stewart Builders - Gordon McCauley Coaching @ 01:00

Southsure Insurance Team @ 01:00

Henderson Construction Limited @ 01:06

Team Hydraulink @ 01:12

Team Polygon @ 01:12

The Southland Times @ 01:39

Southern Institute of Technology @ 01:45

Versatile Homes & Buildings @ 01:54

Ultimo @ 02:14

HARCOURTS SPRINT ACE RESULTS

42 Samuel Witmitz Share The Road 31

76 James Moss Node 4-Subaru 15

133 Craig Hutton Southsure Insurance Team 7

75 Daniel Barry Node 4 – Subaru 5

135 Kevin Hawes Southsure Insurance Team 5

JESCO HYDRAULICS KING OF THE MOUNTAIN RESULTS

111Joseph Chapman Creation Signs - L&M Group Racing 24

76 James Moss Node 4 - Subaru 12

46 Greg Taylor Share The Road 10

135Kevin Hawes Southsure Insurance Team 2

THE CO-OPERATIVE BANK U23 RESULTS

1 22 Patrick Bevin (U23) BPC 3h57'56"

2 4 Cameron Karwowski (U23) PNT @ 03"

3 33 Dion Smith (U23) PBR @ 03"

4 62 Dylan Kennett (U23) SUB @ 05"

5 12 Michael Vink (U23) CST @ 05"

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